Cat and Mouse
by Quamidu
Summary: Deep in the forest of Amegakure, Sasuke and Neji are caught in a game of cat and mouse, but who is the cat, and who is the mouse?
1. Chapter 1

**_Cat and Mouse  
_By: **Quamidu  
**Rated:** Future M

**Summary:** Deep in the forest of Amegakure, Sasuke and Neji are caught in a game of cat and mouse, but who is the cat, and who is the mouse?  
**Warnings: **Shounen-ai, more specificially, Sasuneji with hints of Narukiba and Narusasu. Mature themes.

**Chapter 1**

Hyuuga Neji took his time when it came to reporting to the Hokage that morning in late summer. His dark hair still fell in wet strings from his earlier washing, and his casual, lazy demeanor suggested that he wasn't fully awake, though one could never tell through the light, cloudy eyes that seemed to continually belie any true committal expression. White vest swaying at his side and ANBU mask secured at his hip, Neji was supposed to report for a mission in an hour. The Hokage's call for a meeting seemed to be an upheaval of previous plans, if the Hokage's usual demeanor was any indication of the length of such a meeting, and to be perfectly honest, Neji didn't mind the distraction.

Waving off the Hokage's attendant, Neji's eyes were immediately assaulted by the familiar gaudy décor of the Hokage's inner compound, and he forced himself to ignore it, as was usual whenever he came to get a new assignment or simply to satisfy one of the many whims that the Hokage seemed to cook up over night. The over-abundance of blue and orange would have been shocking (though distinctly appropriate, considering,) to anyone's eyes, but after having worked so many years with Naruto, Neji had gotten used to it and simply written it off as one of Naruto's quirks—a reasonable excuse for something that couldn't be explained. Opening the door to the Hokage's inner room, Neji shrugged his shoulders when Naruto gave him a look that either claimed tardiness or lack of respect, the latter of which had stood as a somewhat sore point between the two ever since Naruto had become Hokage almost six months earlier.

"You could've _dressed_ all the way." Naruto said irritably, running a hair through spiky blonde hair and fixing those blue, blue eyes on Neji's somewhat blank expression. His fingers were already shifting through piles of paper on his desk (a piece of furniture that had ceased being organized since the compound had been hit with Uzumaki Naruto,) either looking for something or just making the surface cluttered more to his liking. Neji shrugged again after looking down, noticing that the white outer vest that normally completed his attire was still in his hand instead of strapped securely over his torso, but not really caring. It wasn't as if Naruto was wearing any shoes, anyway. He had no room for complaint.

Naruto seemed to have found what he was looking for, beckoned Neji forward, and handed him the paper. It was blank.

"Vacation?" Neji asked, his voice as deadpan as the look he adopted while he looked down at the shorter shinobi, one dark eyebrow raising gracefully.

"_No_," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes, "_this_ is an—"

"Oi, Naruto," a voice more high-pitched than Neji's own interrupted, a move which would have thrown any shinobi of less poise into a fit of anger at the suspense. It merely sent a vibration of irritation up Neji's spine, and instead of turning his head to snap at the offender (one Inuzuka Kiba,) Neji instead opted for closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose as Naruto's attention was properly averted. He listened to the two men's short conversation escalate into a minute squabble as Kiba repeatedly flashed a stack of papers before Naruto's eyes, apparently attempting to draw attention to a particular point of interest that Naruto seemed loathe to notice. Irritation mounting as the two voices (ones that had severely grated on Neji's sanity through his maturing years,) got louder and higher pitched, Neji pulled a long string of bandages from his pouch and began to bandage his right arm in an attempt to ignore the two opposing onslaughts.

"Stop bickering," Neji finally commanded lowly, and twin heads of opposing shades turned to look at him, a mixture of confusion and surprise painting both their faces. "Naruto, what is the assignment?"

"Hey, that's Hok—"

"You can call him whatever you want in the bedroom, Inuzuka." Neji replied to the red-faced canine-nin with a look of superiority, which only served to make the deep red of Kiba's face spread to his ears, "I said, what's the assignment?"

Naruto seemed to consider Neji's attitude for a moment before plucking the blank sheet of paper from where Neji had placed it on his desk and folding it in half once, a contemplative look on the scar-marked face. "Kiba, let's finish this later." The blonde said, not looking at the Inuzuka, but keeping his eyes on Neji as if trying to discern some hidden motive that Neji had for not wanting to listen to a work-turned-lovers squabble. Kiba, who did not seem pleased with the turn of events at _all_, huffed and took his stack of papers away, slamming the sliding door as best he could, throwing the rickety wood off its hinges and leaving the door crooked enough to make Naruto look almost abysmal before he turned and wrote something on the paper, leaning over his desk.

Tying the bandage off at his bicep, Neji's eyes followed Naruto as he walked back around his desk and sat down, mouth in a long line that he immediately pressed to clenched fists that leaned on the paper-strewn desk. He suddenly looked very tired, and Neji's expression softened minutely. "It's an A-Rank mission." Naruto divulged finally, looking as if the admission were almost painful.

"Fine." Neji replied shortly, waiting for further information that Naruto seemed unwilling to give.

"It may need an upgrade." The silence seemed to clamor with things unsaid, and Neji waited. Silence stretched out until seconds lumped into minutes, and soon it was becoming apparent that Naruto wasn't going to say anything more.

"What's the mission?" Neji asked again, his voice spreading into a finality that made Naruto look up at him. Naruto caught his glance, and in those eyes, Neji no longer saw the Hokage—it was the old Naruto—Naruto the boy. Naruto glanced away once, and then back, and Neji knew the wait was up.

"Capture and return to Konoha, the missing-nin Uchiha Sasuke."

---

Neji had been annoyed with the assignment more than worried, now that he looked back on it. If he were to take a leaf out of Shikamaru's book, he'd simply call it troublesome—everyone in Konoha knew that Sasuke wouldn't be caught unless he wanted to be, and if the latter were true, he'd probably come back on his own, in any case. That scenario was highly unlikely—almost as equally unlikely as Neji being able to catch Sasuke on his own; there had been various missions since the failed group effort back when Neji was a Genin, and each since had been as unsuccessful as the first. Sasuke himself had never actually harmed anyone in pursuit of him; sure, he may have teased them a little, let them follow him around for a few days, but they all eventually turned up more confused than they were when they left. Each had a similar story of catching glimpses of the Uchiha, even talking to him on occasion, but never once had any of them managed to _fight_ him, let alone get their hands on him. Neji had had half a mind to tell Naruto to do it himself, and probably would have if it weren't for the fact that Naruto had already tried. The current Hokage was as unsuccessful as the previous shinobi, worse even. Naruto had fallen even shorter than the previous attempts: Sasuke hadn't even _breathed_ on him, and the blonde had been more upset over his lack of success than Neji had ever seen him.

Neji wasn't sure why Naruto was insisting on another mission _now_, when Sasuke had been gone for almost six years with no trace of him in Konoha or surrounding areas. In truth, Neji's instructions had sounded more like a reconnaissance mission than anything else. He glanced down at the paper he held in his right hand as he walked—empty but for the name of a bar that Sasuke had been reportedly seen in as close as two days prior. Frowning at the paper, Neji put it in his back pocket and ran a hand through his now-dry hair in minute agitation. The bar was in Amegakure.

Having reached the Hyuuga compound, Neji walked the three-block span it took to get to the branch houses, finding upon no close inspection that someone was inside his own small quarters. Though the house appeared to be silent, the door was cracked and a light ebbed from within. Neji closed his eyes and knit his brow, hoping that Hinata had left the telltale signs of entrance so he would know that she was there as opposed to catching him off guard—he had taught her to be a better ninja than that.

When he entered, his suspicion had proven true. Hinata hadn't even been sitting in the guest room, but the entryway, and she was upon him before he'd even managed to get his sandals off. Neji stiffened, one foot in the air as Hinata—still much the same size that she had been at twelve—encircled him with her arms. He could feel the tears seeping into his chest through the mesh shirt and dropped his vest on the step before shifting awkwardly under his cousin's engulfing embrace.

"What are you doing?" He asked blankly, waiting for her to let go of him. It was a rare occasion that Hinata made physical contact with Neji, and he tended to be more of a rock than support when it came to anything involving physical comfort. Obviously something had gotten her upset—tears were neither common nor rare with Hinata, but it was only after careful prodding that they usually erupted, especially around her Neji-niisan, who was hardly a sympathetic ear.

"N-Neji-niisan…y-you can't g-go!" Hinata's muffled voice came from against Neji's chest, the vibrations sending a tickling sensation up his chest that Neji forced himself to ignore. He looked up in an attempt to gather his thoughts, or perhaps just to wish away the situation as he continued to attempt to take off his sandal, turning a rather awkward situation into a very awkward one when it appeared that Hinata wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

Neji had learned at a very young age that one had to be patient with Hinata, or she would clam up, stutter out a few incomprehensible syllables, and be utterly useless. This patience, however, did not always come easily. The day was already grating on Neji's nerves, and he wasn't sure that he was willing to spend the amount of time it took to get Hinata to tell him exactly what was wrong. Impending mission aside, Neji just didn't have that kind of time. "Why not?" He finally settled; sometimes being direct and not asking for back-story was the quickest way to a problem.

Hinata pulled away and looked up, the seriousness of the situation that echoed in her teary gaze offset only by the thud of Neji's sandal finally coming lose and dropping to the floor. "He'll kill you." She said morbidly, and Neji couldn't help the sigh that escaped from his lips as he stepped away, lost the other sandal and stepped up into his home.

"You need to stop talking to Kiba." He said with slight disdain as he moved into his bedroom, Hinata following closely behind. Naruto really needed to stop with the pillow talk. All the Hokage's secrets were going to end up leaking out of Inuzuka Kiba's giant mouth. Gathering his hair into a high ponytail, Neji flicked the light switch with his elbow and peered at the pack that was already lying open on the bed. It was unlikely that this mission would allow for the same amenities that his previous assignment had. He set about putting the pack away, being unable to use it. Neji didn't expect the mission to last more than a month—surely the Uchiha would tire of him by that point and lead him back to Konoha.

"Don't joke." Hinata said with almost perfect clarity, forcing Neji to turn around and look at her, one arm brace halfway up his wrist.

"I don't know why you think he's going to bother, Hinata-sama." Neji said, "He didn't kill anyone else."

"N-No one else was…n-no one was a t-threat!" Hands clasped in the typical Hinata fashion, as if she were pleading or praying, Neji's younger cousin made her appeal. Those giant white eyes, a mirror of Neji's own, but somehow much more innocent, begged him. Of course, it was useless, and Neji told her so after having considered the suggestion. Plenty of the men sent before had been up to the Uchiha's ability, or what the Hokage had always referred to as his "projected ability," as he hadn't been seen for years, making it impossible to properly gage.

"He's not going to kill me. I probably won't get near him, so stop being ridiculous."

"If y-you must go…" It was unlikely that Hinata had actually been expecting a different reaction from Neji, and had prepared for this, "p-please, Neji-niisan…take this with you." Hinata produced a small white bag, which, upon closer inspection, contained salves, bandages, and other medical supplies that Neji probably wouldn't need (and had plenty of, by himself,) but would take anyway, if only to keep Hinata from worrying herself to death.

"Fine." Neji said, swiping the bag from his cousin's grasp rather roughly, a movement that warranted a somewhat sharp reaction from Hinata at his brashness—a look that quickly faded into pleasure when he tucked it securely into a holder on his belt. "Happy?" He grunted and secured the rest of his attire before turning and heading for the door, leaving Hinata standing behind him by the bed. "You're not staying here." He said, "Let's go."

Hinata didn't budge.

"Hinata-sama, I said—"

"I-I'll take c-care of your home w-while you're gone, Neji-niisan!" The girl shouted without reservation, eyes closed, hands clasped firmly before her as she made a run through the door and into the entrance, where Neji heard her quickly put on her shoes and exit the house. He stared at her exit path for a good five minutes before leaving himself, slightly baffled.

---

Avoiding Kusagakure while traveling through the grass country was easy enough for Neji to manage; the flat terrain was traversed within a day, and he was within Rain before dusk gave its last surrender. Amegakure greeted him with a torrent of warm rain, and Neji was soaked by the time he managed to find an inn. Now free of the telltale signs of ANBU that he had shed before reaching the rain country, water dripped through the mesh shirt and down his bare left arm, sliding off fingertips and the ends of his hair. He made a reasonably large puddle on the floor of the inn, and ignored the attendant's somewhat irritated gaze as he was led to his room, dark, but dry.

Staring at the rain through the bamboo shutters that covered the window, Neji watched the darkness settle in. He was tired from the day of travel, but knew that if he had any chance of catching a glimpse of Sasuke, it would be sooner rather than later. He doubted that the boy would visit the same bar again, but the piece of paper scrawled with Naruto's chicken scratch was the only hint that he had when it came to the younger man's whereabouts. He would have to go tonight.

Neji watched the silvery rain in contemplation, bare feet sticking to the tatami mats underfoot as he refused to shift from his position, mind pulled taunt over the mission. Naruto was still looking for closure years after Sasuke had left, _that_ was the real reason for this mission. Neji knew the blonde well, had worked with him almost exclusively when Naruto had been a member of ANBU, and despite all appearances of Naruto moving on from the cling he had attached to his childhood friend and rival, Neji still saw the ghost of Sasuke that lingered in the deep blue eyes. Naruto probably never even expected Neji to catch Sasuke, perhaps only wanted to know that he was still alive, functioning—still Uchiha Sasuke. Neji remembered every futile effort that Naruto attempted whenever the two had had a mission in Sound. Sasuke had never appeared to Naruto, and that, Neji knew, was the sore underneath the problem.

A sigh escaped into the quietness of the room, soft against the rhythmic drumming sound of the rain outside the window. Neji finally moved from his resting place and into the bathroom, where he cleaned up and forced himself to put the mission into motion. He leaned against the bathroom sink and concentrated on the slow drip of water that seeped from his hair and down from his forehead until it got slow enough that Neji couldn't even count the seconds between each drop. It was time to go.

He took a coat, but only because of the rain. Once outside after asking directions to the bar, Neji attempted to shrug off the thickness of the air. It was warm and heavy enough that it pressed in on every side, grinding the warm wetness that had covered his skin deeper and deeper with every step on the wet, muddy ground. The raindrops drew circles of mud around Neji's moving form, and every splash was a rhythm. Unlike Konoha, whose streets were crowded with familiar faces and laughter, Amegakure seemed empty and morbid. Neji's frown deepened as he stopped at the end of a long, almost deserted road. The bar, Sangen, seemed to be illuminated in the darkness of the street, a low, easy blue radiating outward and mixing with the neon orange of various signs in the windows. Behind the bar lay the beginnings of the Amegakure forest, and while the positioning of the small establishment could be called quaint, Neji knew that it would be more than simple for someone to escape into the forest through a side or back door. That was, of course, if Sasuke was even there.

Neji was met at the door by a leering man with a blood red tattoo running down the right side of his neck and crisscrossing down his fingers. Yellow eyes glinted in the dim, smoke-dusted room, and Neji sidestepped but did not take his eyes off his welcome committee as he entered the bar, Byakugan looking for anything familiar as well as keeping an eye on his new friend; the man had returned to his post.

Neji was surprised to pick out several familiar faces once he let the Byakugan do its work. He counted at least three from the Bingo Book—lower grade, but names and vitals scratched into the book, anyway. It was almost surreal, to see those that he supposed to be his enemies—and enemies of each other—sitting around a table and playing poker while they nursed bottles. Neji almost wondered if he would see the Uchiha brothers dining together in peace, though if that were the case, he was almost certain that he couldn't report such a thing back to Naruto. No doubt it would give the Hokage a heart attack.

The scurrility of the place and situation slowly died down as Neji traversed the bar. He'd been inside such an establishment before; the dingy clutter of smoke in the air muffling the music, the smell of alcohol—it was familiar. Neji no longer had to remind himself of the nature of this place. It was a bar. He sat down, choosing a seat at the bar instead of one of the tables where he would have a better view of the room, but a worse one of the exits, and tried to act like he wasn't there on business. Neji was on edge but not tense, and open enough in an attempt to prove his meaning. He noticed the gazes that lingered on his seal but seemed to ignore the tattoo on his left bicep; none of the patrons in the bar seemed interested in anything more than his face and opal eyes, a point which seemed to draw the bartender as soon as Neji sat down.

"Can I get you anything, Sugar?" The man said, leaning a forearm on the murky surface of the bar that looked as if it hadn't been polished in months. Neji watched him, unmoving for a moment as he took the brief opportunity to scan the bar again for any sign of the Uchiha. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to drink anything alcoholic at this point.

"Water." He announced. The look the bartender gave him was one to kill, and Neji couldn't help the smirk when he was presented with a glass smudged with finger prints. Upon closer inspection, the water was almost as murky as the air inside the room. Neji sighed and leaned his elbow on the bar. What the hell would the Uchiha want with a place like this, anyway? It probably wasn't even him that was spotted, and Neji was just wasting his time.

---

Neji wasted several hours of his time, actually. The amount of people in the bar waxed and waned throughout the night, and by three or four, the bar was almost empty. Neji hadn't touched his water, hadn't moved from his spot, and was decidedly bored with the fact that there hadn't even been a bar fight to keep him occupied. He slipped out just as dawn was breaking, back into the rain that hadn't stopped in its torrent all night. The street was covered with a thin layer of water that was just high enough to seep into Neji's sandals and wet his feet, adding irritation to exhaustion—an exhaustion that was so heavy that it did not allow for undressing or even drying, sending Neji into a cold, wet sleep, lulled only by the rain pouring outside his window.

Neji spent his next night at the bar with a package of tissues and flask of hot tea. He sneezed occasionally, and the patrons allowed him a wide breadth, but Neji refused to allow a simple cold to ruin a mission that was probably ruined already. He considered asking around the bar for information on Sasuke, but suspicion would probably drive him out, and he preferred to use such tactics as a last resort. So he sat, and waited, and watched as the pressure behind his eyes and nose ebbed and his temperature grew, and he listened as the rain poured.

The next week, Neji abandoned his position at the bar in favor of a corner table. "Cloaked in shadow" would have been preferable, but as it was, the warm light that seemed to invade the smoky air of the bar was too far-reaching to allow for any shadows that Neji could commandeer. He settled for spreading his arms against the back of the cupped seats and watching the drunk and becoming-drunk file through the bar. By this time, he was beginning to notice familiar faces—a man who had sat at the same table since Neji had begun to frequent the bar. He only drank sake—another who seemed to have run out of money long ago, but had approached no one in attempt to reconcile this—Neji was starting to notice. Unfortunately, and not without his knowledge, _he_ was becoming recognizable as well.

"Hey, you look like a lonely guy. What's a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like this? Why don't you let me buy you a drink?" Neji had noticed—and ignored—the approach of a well-dressed man that seemed much less drunk than the others that had weeded through the bar that night. It was already past midnight, and Neji had been as unlucky as the week of previous attempts at spotting anyone that even _looked_ like the Uchiha. He allowed the man a petty glance, but did not answer.

"Don't be like that," he was blonde and young, but not as young as Neji and definitely not a ninja, if elegant, soft hands that whispered over Neji's exposed neck had anything to say for it. "There's an easy cure for loneliness."

"I'm not interested in what you're selling." Neji remarked, letting his words speak instead of actions as his eye traversed the small crowd. The hairs on the back of his neck had begun to stand up, and it wasn't due to the carefully placed caresses that now spoke against his shoulder blades. The atmosphere of the room had changed, and Neji suddenly couldn't see over the heads of three men that had stood to leave, though he wasn't sure why it suddenly mattered so much that he see around them. The interloper beside him was saying something, and Neji knew he couldn't activate the Byakugan without giving himself away or causing a fuss that he didn't need. So, he stood.

In the same instance that he caught sight of a dark, somewhat familiar head that may or may not have been Uchiha Sasuke's, nimble fingers curled around his wrist and tugged him back down.

"What the hell!" Neji demanded, glaring at the blonde whose lips had curled in a manner that suggested playfulness with a more sinister intent. Neji didn't have time for games; he wrenched his hand out of the other man's grip easily and turned pale, moonlit eyes back to the center of the room. The atmosphere was amazingly clear, and nothing impeded his sight, but there was no sign of the dark haired familiar stranger that Neji had glimpsed earlier. A draft hit his flushed and angry face.

The back door was wide open.

Without a second glance to the man at his side, Neji bolted for the door, knowing it was useless and that Sasuke would be long gone. It was only when he was outside, staring at the dark forest before him with the rain softly pattering at his head, that Neji realized that Sasuke was toying with him. Why else would he leave the door open? Unless…

Neji realized the trap as soon as the sharpness of a kunai cut lightly into his throat, and he froze to prevent further damage. Feeling the rain flow around the blade as well as drip off the other presence—so close that Neji couldn't focus, even with the Byakugan—Neji swallowed softly and forced himself to be still.

"I didn't think you'd recognize me." Neji said calmly, feeling the push of the kunai cut deeper with every word as he closed his eyes and let the water collect on his eyelids and lashes.

"I don't have amnesia." The voice behind him replied, lower than Neji remembered, but still with the same timbre from years long since passed. "You're rather persistent."

"I'd assume you would go to another bar." Neji said with a slight smirk, one that the other probably couldn't see, but which was expected anyway.

"I like this bar." The deep voice said softly, and Neji noticed that the rain had stopped for the first time since he'd come to Amegakure. The hold he was in hadn't lessened in the slightest.

"Are you going to let me go?"

"I could, but you wouldn't get very far. You should be feeling faint rather soon."

"A poisoned blade?" Neji ventured, noting the almost sudden blurriness of his vision and the way his fingers had begun to twitch, as if the other man's words had flipped a switch in his body.

"I can't have you crowding my bar."

"Wherever you dump me…" Neji said, and he could hear his own voice growing fainter, "I'll still come back." His head lolled back onto the shoulder that connected with the hard, supporting body behind him. A drop of water hit his cheek, and Neji could see Uchiha Sasuke's ear and his strong jaw line.

"Don't worry about it, Hyuuga." The Uchiha's voice said softly, just before Neji faded into darkness, "Where I'm taking you, those eyes of yours won't see an inch of this place."

---

**Author's Note:** I'm planning on this fic being around five chapters or so, depending on how I decide to break the series of events down. Reviews are very much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Cat and Mouse  
_By: **Quamidu  
**Rated:** M

**Summary:** Deep in the forest of Amegakure, Sasuke and Neji are caught in a game of cat and mouse, but who is the cat, and who is the mouse?  
**Warnings: **Shounen-ai, more specifically, Sasuneji with hints of Narukiba and Narusasu. Mature themes.

**Chapter 2**

Uchiha Sasuke was certain, upon afterthought, that he should have killed the Hyuuga. Sasuke realized (in somewhat unfortunate awareness and after no careful contemplation,) that he had had no intention of killing Neji in the first place–indeed, the poison on the blade was of a special breed, and even when he had been coating the kunai, Sasuke had never intended to use the poison as anything more than a drug, its ambiguous purpose to send the victim into a dreamless sleep while working on muscles and motor skills to incapacitate at the same time. As Neji sagged against Sasuke's chest, eyes closed and rain once again pattering on pale, nearly colorless cheeks, Sasuke grumbled, though it was neither under the pressure of Neji's limp body, nor at the angle. He was simply doing himself a disservice by catering to the Hyuuga. Even as he threw Neji's body over his shoulder, he realized that he should have left the nin at the bar, if he insisted on keeping him alive at all. The truth was, however (a truth that Sasuke admitted irritably to himself,) that the thought of the threat that the Hyuuga's white eyes posed was too enticing, almost _exciting_, to pass over without careful contemplation. It was this contemplation, however, that Sasuke wasn't sure he wanted to breach. Either way, Sasuke traversed the forest with Neji in tow.

Though the hours that the rain drummed, a heavy force that picked up after the initial drip drop that begun after Neji and Sasuke's meeting had prematurely ended, Sasuke pushed from his mind the reasons that led to the decision to bring the white-eyed nin back with him. Both soaked from the rain, Sasuke had immediately started a fire going and stripped Neji of his clothing, tucking the unconscious man into the blankets and skins of Sasuke's own bed. The rain was a constant background to the crackle of fire, and even without looking at Neji's still form, Sasuke could _feel_ the companionship that came just from having another body in the same space. Having another person to suck up the same air, to give the surrounding area a crackle of life was something that Sasuke had missed without knowing it. The forest had yielded nothing but animal life since Sasuke had lived there–months, but not too many, just enough to be acquainted and feel almost at home.

Sasuke's mind, no matter how much he attempted to control it, moved over thoughts without his bidding. He had to admit that the thought of fairly fighting the Hyuuga partially backed his decision to keep him alive. After two years with Orochimaru, Sasuke wanted to test his own skills against someone that had had a consistent formal training. The byakugan only solidified his choice in Neji–it was, in Sasuke's mind, as close to fighting Itachi as he was going to get without going to the actual source. There was also the simple spontaneity that the situation had presented. The scenario hadn't differed much from the others; fairly easily Sasuke had lured whoever had caught his carefully laid trail out into whatever 'trap' he had decided fit the situation best, and had, for as long as he wished, enjoyed the running games or perhaps a quick sparring match or a few carefully exchanged words. The meeting between cat and mouse always came at the end of the hunt, however, and after his pursuer caught sight of him in earnest, they were always led back to a familiar road with not a track to follow. Sasuke had discovered Neji's presence only days before, and yet, he had let the other man greet him from the first. Sasuke chalked the whole thing up to the boredom that had set in. Months of mediocrity–training, hiding, running, quietness–had worn Sasuke down enough that even Neji's soft, slightly arrhythmic breathing was enough to give the variety that Sasuke felt he needed, at least for a little while.

It was hours before Neji stirred. Sasuke knew it would be; the poison was particularly aggressive, and it had likely gone directly throughout the blood stream. It also appeared that Neji was working off some of his own fatigue through the sleep as well, though Sasuke had no idea how the man's state of mind would affect his regeneration time. As soon as he heard the careful rumple of the sheets, Sasuke reached for the broth he had set by the fire to warm, and turned slowly to face a disconcerted Hyuuga Neji.

Sasuke said nothing as he watched the long-haired ninja get his bearings. Neji's discontent from the start, though not obscenely obvious, was clear. His pale eyes shifted around the tent methodically, pausing shortly on Sasuke's stash of weapons as well as the few other things that he'd collected over his years away from Konoha. Finally they settled on Sasuke, and though he could tell that Neji wasn't surprised to find him there, there was still a question in the quirk of his eyebrows and the set of his mouth.

"The weakness will remain for several days." Sasuke measured a guess at the questioning gaze and took a few steps forward to kneel by the futon, careful eyes on Neji's clearly incapacitated body–he wasn't taking any chances despite the knowledge that Neji was in no position to fight him.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Neji asked, straight to the point as his eyes carefully watched Sasuke's face. Snorting slightly, the younger shinobi positioned himself slightly behind Neji and pulled him up into a seated position, back against Sasuke's chest. He could see the annoyance growing in the redness that was splotching against those pale cheeks, but intended on forcing Neji to take the broth, pride or no. The poison was tricky, and had to be dealt with carefully. If Sasuke was going to kill the Konoha ninja, he was going to do it with his own hands. The poison was simply a tool–a way to gauge Neji's strength.

"Are you sure that's the question you want to be asking?" Sasuke said, picking the bowl up and spooning a bit of broth before stopping his movement, waiting for Neji to either open up, or resist. As suspected, Neji's mouth remained closed as he stared up at Sasuke with an almost rebellious hardness in his eyes. "You have to drink it." Sasuke said, amused, "If you want to move again, that is."

The harsh lips remained closed, and Sasuke waited.

"It's getting cold." He said patiently, more amused at the Hyuuga's stubbornness than anything else.

"Wh–" Whatever Neji's question (be it a reiteration of the former, or a newly rehearsed version,) Sasuke ignored it and shoved the spoon into the slightly smaller man's mouth, earning not only a shocked look for his trouble, but a fit of sputtering, as well.

"See? Wouldn't it be better if I didn't have to force it?" Sasuke's voice was carefully condescending.

"You basta–" Again with the broth and the sputtering, and Neji was making Sasuke awfully tired, and he hoped that the lowered dose of the poison he'd added to the broth would kick in soon and knock the Hyuuga out. Marvelling at how quickly he became annoyed these days, Sasuke pushed away his impetuous side and watched the immobile man whose pulse fluttered against his chest. Neji's flush became an epidemic, spreading across his cheekbones and to his lips alike, the hot liquid bringing color to his skin for however long before the poison drained it away again. Sasuke almost felt sorry that this was the only way to ease Neji away from death, but then there was the part of him that, besides knowing the necessity, relished the thought of such a strong man made immobile by such simple means.

It took three more forced spoonfuls for Neji to show the effects of Sasuke's ministrations. The Hyuuga's eyelids drooped, and he had stopped attempting to speak, but no longer had the control over his muscles that it took to swallow. Sasuke laid him down gently, covering him lightly with a blanket as he caught sight of the familiar ANBU tattoo on Neji's left arm. "ANBU this time," he said thoughtfully, curiosity peaking as to why Konoha was still trying to retrieve him so vehemently after so many years. "What's it like?" He whispered to the unmoving, silent form of Hyuuga Neji.

The other ninja's chest slowly rose and fell in a peaceful, if not entirely natural, sleep. Sasuke sighed slightly, shook his head, and studied the man. The Hyuuga prodigy still looked much the same that he had in his late childhood, though the subtle differences seemed like mileposts to Sasuke, who hadn't seen a long-lost familiar face since Naruto's last attempted rendevous. The dark hair that Neji had always worn with a low tie was now spread in clumps on the pillow, freed from the tighter binding that Sasuke had removed when he'd first brought Neji to his keeping place. It was not beautiful hair–not now; rain and sweat had clumped and stringed it, as well as Neji's proneness to nightly movements, harsh and wild–surprising for someone who was currently so weak, but there nonetheless. The pale teenager's face was the same, though slightly elongated and more adult like his body. His classical beauty still stood out with the high cheek bones that gave proof to his noble lineage. The only shocking difference was the presence of Neji's seal, something that Sasuke had never been able to examine even at a distance, as it was always covered. Neji seemed to wear it openly now, as there were no bandages covering it even when he'd been in the bar. Sasuke drew a thumb over the green marking almost roughly, shook his head at the gathering heat and sweat behind his finger, and rose to wash the bowl.

"It's like walking in hell." Neji's quiet voice said, weak but clear, from behind Sasuke's turned back. When Sasuke turned around, however, there was nothing to suggest that Neji had replied or moved at all.

---

Sasuke awoke when the waxing moon was low in the sky, its clear white light shining on his lap in serene puddles that were more of an annoyance than aesthetically pleasing. The chair that he'd fallen asleep in was hardly comfortable, and the nightly chill that came with the constant dampness of the forest left his clothes clinging and limp. The fire was on its last leg, and Sasuke stood with a stifled wince to drop a few pieces of firewood on the slowly ebbing embers. While staring at the fire, his thoughts were immediately caught up in the world that he'd lived in for almost his entire life, and as Sasuke mulled over how much he thought about Itachi, a familiar sound broke into his torrid reverie.

It must have been Neji's moans that had stirred him originally, and he watched the pale-faced nin for quite some time as Neji's eyebrows knitted and relaxed, cracked lips parting as he shifted only slightly as if in wait for another groan. Sasuke didn't move, black eyes hard and orange-tinted over the fire as Neji writhed and moaned again, but remained unconscious. Again, the thought crossed Sasuke's mind just to let him die. It would be so easy, and even if he had wasted his time for the last two days, Neji was just a distraction, anyway. Meant for time-wasting and funny little games that Sasuke was surprised that he still liked to play. Another groan from the ninja on the futon, and a tensing of muscles as if in wait for attack. A sharp cry, and then silence.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, Hyuuga." Sasuke muttered, reaching for a water flask and tilting Neji's head slightly to pour a bit of water into those cracked lips. The Hyuuga swallowed on reflex, and Sasuke moved away to return to his chair. Crossing his arms and wishing again that the Hyuuga would return to health and get out of his bed so he could get a decent night's rest, Sasuke let out a heavy breath. Eyes raking over the prone form, however, Sasuke wasn't sure that Neji didn't need it more than he did.

As if in agreement, there was a soft sigh, and Neji's once erratic breathing slowed to a softer, more calm rhythm. In time, it blended with the fall of late summer rain as clouds gathered toward morning. Sasuke slept with more comfort than he had before.

---

Dawn announced Neji's fever. Sasuke had decided, the night before in those early morning hours, that he preferred the Hyuuga unconscious. The heavy, sickly warmth that settled in on the campsite, however, left Neji's eyes wide open, feverish, if not aware. The opal-eyed man seemed to traverse the world between dreams and consciousness rather well, spoke little, allowed Sasuke to feed him whatever he wished (oh, how he could kill him _now_, and so easily!) and seemed content to watch Sasuke with that constant, luminous gaze until sleep once again claimed him, allowing Sasuke a final freedom that he wasn't sure had ever existed for him before.

Neji slept for three days. His fever broke on the second day, and Sasuke allowed himself to feel a small amount of relief when the shimmer of sweat finally dried and the unnatural pink disappeared from Neji's cheeks, leaving a somewhat sickly glow, but one that spoke of recovery. Neji remained silent as Sasuke nursed him, didn't attempt to speak at all, actually, but Sasuke could see the irritation and bent pride that was resting behind the even countenance. He couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips when Neji finally did attempt movement, arms shaking and breath coming heavily from exertion.

"You finally have to piss or something?" Sasuke asked contemplatively from his chair, dark eyes looking over a book that he wasn't reading.

Neji seemed irritated enough by the question, but lacked motivation and strength to reclaim his dignity. Instead, he nodded. Sasuke snorted, but put the book down and stood, walking to stand over the struggling man before grabbing thin wrists and pulling him up to lean on a steadying shoulder. "You stink, Hyuuga."

"Your problem," Neji groaned, as the two did a poorly copied waltz out of the tent, "not mine."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke led Neji to a tree, propped him against it rather humorously, and turned to lean with his back toward the other ninja. "Naruto going to send a party after you?" Sasuke asked, looking thoughtfully at his fingernails as the tree behind him was silent, save for Neji's somewhat heavy breathing.

"Is it going to be necessary?" Neji replied, his voice somewhat pained for a breathless moment, clearly still short-winded form the careful walk from the tent.

Sasuke smirked, "Maybe."

There was the careful noise of the release of bladder pressure before Neji replied, a long thoughtful silence whose heaviness was almost completely lost on Sasuke's almost peaceful mind. "Why haven't you killed me?" It must have been an important question, Sasuke thought; Neji kept asking it. He shrugged against the rough bark of the tree.

"Maybe I'll kill you tomorrow." Was his easy reply, "Are you quite done?"

Sasuke turned to see long, thin fingers grasping the trunk as Neji pulled himself out of the leaning position. He took the answer for a yes, slipped his arm about Neji's bare torso, and guided them back to the tent. As if loathe to become bedridden again, Neji stopped his careful foot movements alongside Sasuke's as the taller teen guided him to the bed. "What." Sasuke said lowly, thinking again to himself that Neji wasn't worth this much trouble.

"Where's my clothing?" Neji asked softly, as if he had just noticed his own nakedness. Sasuke allowed for an upturn of his lips as he leered at the Hyuuga, eyes raking obscenely down the now too-thin body and delighting in the near-healthy blush that spread across the other nin's cheeks. Neji was an awkward sight, that was for sure. No amount of clothing would help the obvious affects of the sickness. He needed to bathe.

Sasuke reached for his chair with his foot, dragged it toward them, and dropped Neji unceremoniously onto the uncushioned wood. Ignoring the grunt of protest at such rough handling, he waved a hand behind him as he walked out of the tent. "I'll give them back eventually."

Smiling at the indignant growl that came from behind canvas walls, Sasuke headed off into the forest, leaving his charge with his weapons and secrets, and trusting Neji to figure them out for himself.

---

When Sasuke returned from the forest, Neji was scowling irritably at several kunai that were planted at the foot of a pile of Sasuke's dirty laundry, fifteen feet away. Sasuke chuckled maliciously at the obviously weak throws, and stopped a few feet from Neji's chair. The other nin had apparently found his clothing, and, though he hadn't made himself much more presentable, did look to be in almost complete control of himself. "Come on, it's starting to rain." He held out his hand and waited for Neji to take it, but (expectantly, once more,) the other man just looked at him. Sasuke shook his head, grabbed Neji by the bicep impatiently, and pulled him to his feet. He could already feel the other man staggering to get his balance, and the pressure of Neji's body against his own, which had been heavier earlier, was significantly lessened. Neji was already recovering. "You stink, Hyuuga."

"So you tell me." Neji replied, "Where are you taking me?"

"You've grown paranoid in your old age, Hyuuga." Sasuke said, eyebrows knitting as his dark eyes glinted in the light that was growing more and more dim with the arrival of new clouds. "Where're my clothes? When are you killing me? Where are we going?" He shook his head, "I'm not going to kill you right this minute. You'll be the first to know when I do, so stop worrying about it."

Neji was silent for several minutes, and the rain began in earnest. Sasuke heard the other boy, so close to his side, sigh in agitation, and Sasuke smiled softly, face turned away and up toward the dark, cloudy ceiling and falling rain. He couldn't admit that the weather often pleased him, especially the tepid downpours that had been frequent that summer. He had probably stayed in Amegakure too long already, but the rain here wasn't like the rain in Konoha. Everything in Konoha was expectant, everything wanted something. Amegakure was freedom and simplicity, and Sasuke would miss it when it was time to move on. He looked back to Neji and thought about the responsibility he brought. Even the other man's presence was enough to allow for the return of the familiar Konoha expectations. Those white eyes demanded in every glance, and Sasuke understood the demand all too well.

"That's not it." Neji said finally, his voice abrupt enough to catch Sasuke off guard.

"What?" He snapped in surprise, stalling in their walk to look at the Hyuuga, who untangled himself from Sasuke almost immediately.

"Ugh, just let me go." Neji pushed Sasuke back weakly, breakable fingers against hard skin and cloth that sent Neji in a backwards fall into the thick forest underbrush. Sasuke sighed and stared down at the Hyuuga, all flushed skin and flashing eyes. Sasuke smirked.

"Jerk." Neji said, not attempting to move.

"Prig," Sasuke countered, pulling him up. "We're almost there. Trust me, Hyuuga."

"Right." Neji said sarcastically, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and moved on at a quicker pace, forcing Neji closer and rather dragging him along now as opposed to supporting him. They broke into the clearing in an almost dramatic sense. The dim blue light, aided by the trees and the clouds, shone softly on a waterfall and pool lined with damp rocks and various vegetation. The air was clearer here, crisper and more sharp with the new moisture that collected with the rain and drifted around the two ninja. It was hardly mid-afternoon and yet it seemed like twilight. Sasuke, still impressed, watched the pristine scene for a moment as he felt Neji grow fidgety at his side.

"I assume you can fend for yourself." Sasuke looked over at the shorter man, who was still held in his firm grip, something that Neji either didn't seem to notice, or had gotten used to. The brunette nodded slightly, apparently lost in thought as those all-seeing eyes traversed the water and rocks, getting a feel for the scenery, and likely looking for escape routes. "I wouldn't suggest running." Sasuke interrupted whatever thoughts Neji was entertaining, "You're still too weak, and I don't feel like chasing you."

"Fine." Neji said, finally shrugging off the hand at his shoulder. When Sasuke didn't move, he turned narrowed eyes upon him. "I _said_ I can bathe myself." The voice was irritated and haughty. Sasuke frowned and dropped a bar of soap on the ground by Neji's feet.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Sasuke disappeared into the forest, leaping to a high tree branch to keep watch, just in case Neji tried something stupid. It was doubtful, however, that Neji would make an attempt to desert; he was still weak, had no idea of where they were, and it would be unwise to tempt Uchiha Sasuke's wrath, even if the Hyuuga had been toeing the line from the start. The tree branches were wet and slippery, but Sasuke had grown used to the consistency of the bark in these parts, and no longer slipped or had to gain balance. The chakra worked differently here, something he had noticed only after a series of luckily small mistakes. Now that he was acquainted, Sasuke could sigh against branches as easily in Rain as he had in Leaf.

Training his eyes on his newly released companion, Sasuke wondered what Neji would do with his new brand of freedom. Gravity tugged at the other's almost wraithlike shoulders until the Hyuuga pride returned and pulled them straight as Neji made a scan of the area with his byakugan, undoubtedly noticing Sasuke and returning his guard to full status. He became tense as he removed his clothing, but Sasuke felt no need to avert his eyes, so he didn't bother and stared the lone Hyuuga down as the brunette defiantly bent to pick up the soap, deliberately giving Sasuke quite the view before slipping into the cold water and shivering for effect. Snorting indignantly, but with no amount of his usual poise, Sasuke took in the well-muscled back and thighs, greedily pushing back the notice of the poison's effects as he appreciated the view. Neji would undoubtedly return to his former health once he began to eat again, but the sickness and weight loss was an unfortunate side effect, Sasuke thought crudely. Suddenly feeling rather voyeuristic, Sasuke snorted to himself once more and crouched lower, moving his gaze to the scenery rather than Neji's water cloaked form. There was nothing left to see, anyway.

The arrhythmic splashing of Neji's cleaning was the only indication of his presence over the sound of the waterfall as Sasuke's eyes moved to the forest. They were in deep, and though the occasional nin did traverse the thick canopy, Sasuke's tent was well-hidden and his instincts sharp enough that he had never been met by anyone unless it was under his terms. He thought of Neji again, pushed away his decision to keep him as sheer childish spontaneity once more, and turned his eyes back to the pool.

Neji was dressed and staring at him from his spot on the ground, water dripping from already rain-dampened clothes that were now clouded with water spots from putting them on wet. Sasuke jumped to the ground, landing several feet from the Hyuuga before taking a few steps forward. "Idiot, you're never going to recover. There was a reason I was waiting to give your clothes back."

The other teen ignored Sasuke's condescending drawl. "Fight me." He said, voice calm and stable as Sasuke took in his soaked form. "Right now."

Sasuke laughed abruptly, and it sounded almost like a choking to his ears–how many years had it been since he laughed? He couldn't remember–loud and dry. "You're in no shape to fight me, Hyuuga." Sasuke replied, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at Neji with an amused expression. The powerful shoulders of the other man straightened and his hamstrings pulled. Sasuke caught it all.

"That wasn't a request, Uchiha!" Neji yelled, and was flying at him before the surprise could hit. Neji moved like a dance, wet hair spiraling around him as he stepped closer to land a hit on Sasuke's collar bone, which surprise prevented the younger boy from intercepting. Out of habit, Sasuke activated the sharingan and moved to counter Neji's taijutsu, noting with confusion that the Hyuuga seemed to forego juuken in favor of a the soft, quick press of the tips of his fingers along Sasuke's frame, each hit causing a slow burst of pain that died almost instantly.

Countering more quickly with the aid of the sharingan (surprisingly in Neji's weakened state, he was still quite strong,) Sasuke smirked. "I expected more from a genius," he said, leaning forward as if sharing a secret. Neji smirked himself, his knowing look grating Sasuke from the inside and widening red-tinted eyes in surprise as Neji shifted seamlessly into his juuken specialty. Sasuke could feel Neji holding back even through the latent weakness that the other boy seem knowledgeable about (though still exhibited,) and frowned as he continued to counter, slightly disturbed by the other man's quick speed at one of his weaker points. Sasuke had considered Neji's byakugan as a counterweight for his own kekki genkai, but he refused to heighten his own power exertion to find out. Neji was not in top form–Sasuke preferred to kill at full strength.

"What are you doing, Hyuuga?" Sasuke grunted, countering every hand movement now, gentle fist subsiding and sufficiently deflected, though Neji continued to smirk, the knowing opalescent orbs still fixed on blood red-eyes. Sasuke watched Neji's breed of enchantment carefully, eyes catching at the sharp relief of a collar bone, the swish of hair, the way the Hyuuga prodigy moved through the rain as if it were a curtain; a wraith of water. The tomoe in Sasuke's gaze shifted as Neji did, and he no longer had to concentrate on anything but Neji's movements, liquid and soft as the thin boy danced around him, prodding and testing. Realizing the test abruptly, Sasuke whipped his left hand around and pinned Neji against a nearby tree, gladdening at the wince and brief grunt that came from the brunette at the impact.

"If there's going to be any games, Hyuuga, I'm the one who's going to start them." Sasuke hissed, more irritated with himself than the pale boy who he had sufficiently pinned. What was he doing? Sasuke couldn't help but think that he was ducking into something that should be approached with caution.

The infuriatingly smug look that Neji had always seemed to wear as a child surfaced in the quirk of his lips and the glint of his eyes, triumphant even as Sasuke held the power. The harsh light that filtered in through the clearing turned the white eyes into blue shadows, and Sasuke could feel the strong pulse of Neji's neck fluttering underneath his palm, a caged bird beating to get out. His fingers tightened minutely on Neji's thin neck, feeling the water between them, cool and comforting. "Stop testing me." Sasuke bit out lowly, anger peaking behind red eyes. "I will kill you."

Neji seemed to consider, watching Sasuke for a long moment before he closed his eyes, long lashes turning his face a touch more effeminate as he inclined his head, dark hair shifting forward and curtaining his face. His pale lips were curved into an acquiescing smile, though a form of open smugness rested in the expression that served to fuel Sasuke's anger. Impetuously, the younger nin thrust his full body against the weaker one against the tree, causing Neji's head to snap up and thud softly against the bark as a surprised expression finally crossed those chilling eyes. "Stop testing me, Hyuuga!" Sasuke yelled this time, and felt Neji inch away, his space finally invaded, comfort zone finally pulsing outside of Sasuke's own space. Now completely soaked with the cool rain himself, Sasuke was surprised at the unyielding warmth of Neji's body. A trigger shifted at the warmth and the hardness, and Sasuke took a deep breath, the dampness of the forest mixed with Neji's musky scent making something inside him shift and coil. One hand still pinning the other nin, Sasuke's free right hand went up to touch Neji's forehead in a medical caress. Fever pulsed behind his fingers before Sasuke moved them to slide across soft, slick skin and down Neji's cheek and jaw line, drawing a blush from behind pale cheeks. "You have a fever." Sasuke whispered lowly, softly, his voice surprisingly intimate even to his own ears. Sasuke closed his eyes against the feel of Neji's skin and resisted the urge to wet his suddenly dry lips.

Neji didn't reply, his look indignant as Sasuke opened his eyes, though the blush still remained. His look read, are you planning on letting me go? though Sasuke had never much been good at reading road signs or suggestions in body language. He didn't move, hand still against Neji's face before letting it drift down the other man's neck, warm skin whispering a lullaby against Sasuke's pulsing fingertips. Neji watched unmoving, eyes following Sasuke's gaze down as his palm sealed against Neji's navel, fingers shifting wet fabric and sliding against bare skin.

"Experimenting?" Neji said, and Sasuke was surprised to hear his voice slightly breathless as Sasuke's free hand slipped up the side of Neji's torso, feeling the sharp relief of too-defined ribs. Sasuke looked into Neji's face solemnly, no longer following his own tracks as his heart pulsed heavily in his chest. This was nothing; it was hard bodies and hormones and too many days alone. His gaze hardened.

"Taking. I'm sure you recognize the gesture." His hand slipped, lightning quick to the button of Neji's trousers, fingers deftly releasing the clasp and unzipping the fly before his hand plunged beneath the waistband, causing a sharp intake of breath from Neji, and then a surprisingly strong push against his shoulders as Sasuke realized that Neji's hands were still free and fully operational.

"You rat-bastard, Uchiha," Neji hissed as Sasuke countered the push with one of his own, dominant hand reaching for Neji's wrists and catching one before forcing the other to meet it with his right, locking both in a harsh grip of fingers and water. Right hand free to roam, Sasuke pushed thumb and forefinger against Neji's hips, experimentally shifting the wet fabric of his black ANBU trousers down until they slid without further provocation. "You are unbeli–"

Sasuke abruptly cut off the pert speech with a demanding, unyielding kiss. The unplanned movement sent Neji frozen beneath him, and Sasuke smirked against the soft, heated mouth as his hand traversed the hard plain of Neji's chest, stopping only briefly to examine a small, circular breach in the soft skin on Neji's left side with his fingers. Neji snapped out at him, the tensing of muscles giving Sasuke only enough warning to pull back before being damaged by the Hyuuga's teeth. Biting back a mocking comment, Sasuke instead moved his attentions to an ear, then the thin, elegant neck, which he traversed obscenely and without pause.

Neji growled, "Stop, Uchiha...you..." the effects of Sasuke's careful attention and Neji's once again flaring fever stopped the words as the older teen closed his eyes and breathed rapidly, biting his lower lip and poorly stifling a moan as Sasuke's tongue slid along his collar bone, exposed by imploring fingers. Neji shifted beneath him, combined efforts of rain and fatigue and lust chiseling at already weak knees and stunted willpower. Sasuke smirked and released Neji's hands just before cupping the other boy's hips and breathing the ghost of a kiss against the strong jaw line. Neji didn't move, eyes closed and cheeks flushed as his fingers slowly went to thread through Sasuke's thick, wet hair.

Their mouths met again, though Neji remained unresponsive save for the quiet moan that escaped pink lips as Sasuke trailed a line of wet kisses down the column of his neck once more, dipping over a partially clothed shoulder before running his hands down the rimming muscles of Neji's stomach. Listening to the soft breath hitch as Sasuke reached lower, fingers easing around Neji's half-erect member, Sasuke smirked against the other boy's collar, mind throwing substance out the window and delighting in the simple feel of long fingers trapped in his hair and harsh breathing as Sasuke dipped his thumb over Neji's head. Pulling in swift, precise jerks, Sasuke rose at the sound of Neji's moan and kissed at the corner of his mouth, tight, soft pecks that ran into driblets coursing with the rain down Neji's chin.

"Fuck you," Neji squealed out as Sasuke pulled a particularly long, slow finger down his stiff cock. Sasuke didn't have to note to Neji any innuendo as the brunette dissolved again, languid moan that made Sasuke's own growing heat twist as he stowed his expression and leaned his forehead on Neji's.

"Don't tempt me." He ran a finger slowly up Neji's protruding erection and forced himself to pull away completely, despite the enticing flush of Neji's cheeks and his lithe form begging otherwise. A sheet of heavy rain formed between them, and with the sharingan, Sasuke could make out the embarrassed, irritated look that Neji was trying to hide. "Don't tempt me, Hyuuga. After all, I'll probably kill you in the morning."

"Bastard." Neji said with a visible wince, and Sasuke smirked, turning his back and heading back to the campsite. I probably shouldn't have done that, Sasuke thought with a soft, amused smile that disappeared as his own hardness suddenly became apparent. Sasuke shook his head and sighed, unable to drop the smirk or self-satisfied feeling that was coursing through him. Maybe he could have some fun, yet.

Hyuuga was still more trouble than he was worth.

---

**Author's Note:** I lose at life. Not as much as Neji, but really.


End file.
